Fearful, the boy slowly and steadily alternated his arms and legs as he tried to make headway towards the surface. Still, no light appeared above him or in any direction for that matter. Periodically he let loose a small stream of precious air to feel which way the bubbles rose. So far, he was still heading upwards. Over and over he remembered his father’s words on deep diving, ‘Stay calm and relaxed. You have much more air in you than you think. Move slowly but steadily and do not try to force your way to the surface. Do these things and you shall become a strong diver.” Now those words were the only things keeping the boy alive. It was then a blue flicker of light appeared above him. ‘The sky!’ was the thought bursting in his head.
Quickly, the boy fought to calm down for the light was still a distance above him and it would be due to being calm he’d be saved. Upward the boy continued, but the telltale burning in his lungs was growing. Soon, he’d be fighting the urge to breathe, but the light was now so much closer ... and then it moved! In a flash, the blue light the boy thought was the sky shining down on the surface of the water was now the reflection of a massive eye just out of arm’s reach! The boy’s own eyes grew wide as chicken eggs as the light of the eye was joined by the flash of scales from a massive serpentine fish body.
From the black void of water now illuminated by the immense fish, a voice echoed through his ears and body. ‘What have we here? A tiny, tiny visitor I see. You are much too small to be worth eating and you look ill suited to be in this place. What business is so important to bring you here little one?’ The boy was so surprised he unwittingly vented both his bladder and remaining air at the same time. The ill-timed emptying of his lungs caused the boy to grab his throat in a desperate attempt to keep from breathing, but it was too late. Water rushed in through both nose and lungs and the panic he fought so hard to contain took over. Thrashing about, the boy suddenly realized he was breathing and not drowning! It was then the voice from the massive fish flowed through him again as it said with mirth, ‘That just never gets old!’
The Priestess stepped down from the entry block of her house onto the gravel path with measured speed. Looking at the interloper wearing the form of an enemy from ages past the Priestess said flatly, “You come here to lay claim for what you think ... you’ve lost? Did it not occur that you had your chance and what you thought yours now belongs to another?” The naked, mud-covered woman’s green eyes narrowed as she unfolded her arms and placed her hands on slender hips. “Oh. So you believe my property now belongs to you? It’s bad enough you create this haven and believe you can keep me out. But that you are also naive enough to lay claim to those things which are rightfully mine is dangerously ill-advised! Who exactly do you think you are?”
Spreading her feet in the gravel ever so slightly, the earth trembled imperceptibly as the Priestess replied, “Someone who knows even you have far more important things to do than quibble over three lives.” As if to emphasize her point, she twisted the Great War Spear causing a grinding sound as it dug into the dirt. There was a long tense moment as the naked woman’s green eyes burned bright and the Priestess’ eyes turned to amber fire. At the same instant both women’s eyes took on a more friendly look and the Priestess said, “As always, you prove to be a wise and worthy elder.” A wicked smile crossed the naked woman’s attractive mud-covered face showing bright white teeth to the morning sun. “Ah, there are definitely times when I’m glad I allowed you and that husband of yours to elude my embrace. It is because of you two and a few others my task remains interesting.”
Giving a deep sigh and dropping her head slightly in defeat the naked woman then said gruffly, “Fine! I expect the usual conditions in order to claim my property.” Bowing her head slightly the Priestess replied, “Of course. I don’t know why you bothered to ask me when you are already acting upon the usual conditions. It’s not like I ever banned you from performing your duties.” Shrugging her shoulders the naked woman begrudgingly admitted, “True. But you have hidden this place so well and since it’s been so long since we saw each other last, it would have been nice to be invited.”
The Priestess grunted mocking the woman as she retorted, “Few welcome your presence, let alone consider inviting you to call.” Feigning insult the naked woman replied, “Far more than you think find comfort in my presence young one. Well, looks like our little visit has come to an end. You have company.” The Priestess looked up and saw the Old Grandmother at the boundary of her home just off the road. There was trouble. As the Priestess heeled her horse down the road towards the dam, the Grandmother sat upon a bench beneath the shade tree beside a small shrine outside the Priestess’ home.
The sun was rising and it was going to be another beautiful but hot summer day. A warm breeze flowed over her dark weatherworn skin and she fanned herself with part of her tan linen garment. A pair of lovely gold bangled dark hands extended a cup of cool water from the shrine to her. Looking up towards the dark face of an equally lovely smiling young woman, the Grandmother gratefully took the cup and said, “Thank you dear. My, how much you remind me of my dear sister....”
A spray of salty sweat splashed from the Chief’s matted short cropped hair into the face of the shorter blue-eyed warrioress. Despite the contest lasting into the impending furnace of midday, the false Valkyrie didn’t have the decency to at least break a sweat! For the uncounted time their shields slammed together and neither she nor the Chief could gain the upper hand. With her sword pinned by the Chief’s, the Warrior cast those limpid blue eyes up at his and growled, “You just won’t give up will you Aesir? Why keep delaying the inevitable? I can feel you growing weaker by the moment!” Giving his own growl the Chief replied, “What? And give up the chance to make good on parting your firm cheeks... never! I’m just saving my strength so I can spend the rest of this day and night giving you cause to call my name after I sent you back to Nifleheim relieved of your maidenhead.”
The Valley Knight sat well outside the range of the combatants and observed intently. Everything about this scene was wrong. Though the Chief fought remarkably well against the Knight’s former adversary, it was not possible for him to have lasted this long. When the Knight fought the giant warrior, it was just before he’d escaped the city of his enemies and joined the caravan fated to be lost in the desert storm which led him to the Valley. The way the man fought was nothing as the Knight remembered. The Giant had taxed him beyond his limits with speed, skill and outright savagery. Most importantly, the main reason the Giant should not be here was because the Knight killed him!
Yet despite having all but cut the Giant’s head from his body, he was here alive and quite well seeming to toy with the Aesir Chief. Suddenly, the Knight saw the air around the black warrior ripple as if he was watching a desert mirage. Blinking fiercely to clear his eyes, the Knight suddenly saw exactly what the Chief struggled against. Now he understood the all too familiar presence he’d felt around him since he ascended the Mountain this day. It was an unwelcome yet ever present companion having dogged his path until the day he’d found the Valley. Now it was here in the Valley and the Chief had no notion of what he was truly up against.
© 2011 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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